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16
Days of Activism: Code Red Against Rape March
Upenyu
Makoni-Muchemwa and Varaidzo Tagwireyi, Kubatana.net
November 25, 2011
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'Arepa
ngachekwe! (Rapists must be castrated!)'
Hundreds of
women marched from Harare Town House to the Gardens today, chanting,
demanding that various authorities put a stop to the sexual violence
perpetrated against women and children.
During the proceedings
at Harare Gardens a representative from the Family
Support Trust noted that girls were being pressured into not
reporting by their women family members. She related the story of
a little girl who was raped by her father. She reported the incident
to her mother and was taken to a police station to file charges.
Unfortunately, the girl's tete's (paternal
aunts) pressured the girl to recant her story, saying that they
would have no one to provide for them, and that it was not part
of Zimbabwean culture. The girl recanted her story and still lives
with her father.
In another message,
a ZINATHA representative stated that members of ZINATHA did not
condone sexual violence against women and children, and that this
was in fact contrary to Zimbabwean traditions and culture. He also
demanded that those traditional healers who prescribed forced sex
with children also be prosecuted along with the perpetrator.
Director of
Katstwe
Sistahood, Talent Jumo noted the alarming rise in rape cases
over the past year. She said that it was up to women to protect
themselves, their children and each other from sexual predators.
Jumo also urged women to report the incidents as soon as they occurred.
We asked several
women what they hoped the march would achieve. Here are some of
their responses:
Ini ndinofunga
kuti march iyi ichachinja unhu wevanhu muno muZimbabwe. Ivo vanoda
kurepa, kana vanorepa vakadzi vavo, vachivamanikidza kurara navo
ivo vasingade. Kunyanaya kuvarume uku vachatitarisawao sevanhu,
hatisi mhuka kana kuti chii. Takangofanana navo. (I hope this
march will help to change to attitudes of men who go out and rape,
or men who force their wives into having sex. I hope men will
begin to see women as people, we are not just animals that they
can use for sex.)
Listen
Ita zvhinu
zvinhu zvino enderana nemunwe wako waunenge uchidanana naye. Kana
ndichinzwa kudawo ini zvinongo nakidzawo, asi ukaita zvekundi
manikida, hapana zvinondi nakidza. Ava vano repa vana vadiki:
tsvaka musikana. Vakazara kumabhwa varikutsvaka vanovanyenga asi
havaendeko, worepa mwana mudiki. Urikudestroya life yemwana iyeye.
Ngavaite kufunga kuti dai ndirini, kana mwana wangu ndinonzwa
sei? ((To men) you must aim to please you partner. If she also
wants to have sex then everything is fine and you will both enjoy
it, but if you force her, there's nothing for her to enjoy
As for you men who rape children, there are lots of women looking
for men at bars, but you don't want that you want to rape
young children. You are destroying their lives. You must ask your
selves how you would feel if it was you or your child that was
being raped.)
Listen
Kazhinji kacho,
nyaya iyi irikuti shungurudza, vana vari kurepwa vari vana vadiki.
Kouya kumapurisa, vanoda chioko muhomwe, kuzvipatara, varikuti
shaudha. Ma PEP (Post exposure prophylaxis) anodawo chioko muhomwe
iwe usina. Saka zvinhu zviri kuti shungurudza. (This is causing
us unrest. Children are being raped while they are still very
young. When you got to the police they want a bribe, at the hospitals
they shout at you (for being raped). Post exposure prohylaxis
is only available when you bribe someone, and we have no money.
These are the things we are marching about.)
Listen
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